AMN / KATHMANDU
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal restructured his Cabinet on Wednesday after breaking ties with Nepali Congress and joining hands with K P Sharma Oli’s CPM-UML, adding new ministers from the CPN-UML, his own party the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
Sixteen new members of the Cabinet were sworn in by President Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday evening. On Monday, the prime minister had appointed three ministers announcing a new ruling coalition.
On Wednesday, Dahal appointed four ministers from his party, seven from the CPN-UML, three from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and two from the CPN (Unified Socialist). The prime minister still holds the forest and environment, and health and population portfolios.
However, the Janata Samajbadi Party didn’t join the Cabinet on Wednesday although the party’s chief, Upendra Yadav, was one of the four signatories of Monday 8 POINT DEAL on the new ruling alliance. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane and JSP chair Yadav had signed the agreement. The Janamat Party led by CK Raut and the Nagarik Unmukti Party of Resham Chaudhary, which were expected to join the new coalition, stayed away from the Cabinet formation on Wednesday.
With the formation of the new political equation, the Nepali Congress on officially withdrew its support extended to the government, and affirmed to stay in the opposition.
As per the constitution, after the Congress withdrawal, it is mandatory for Dahal to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days starting Wednesday.
Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Lammichhane becomes Home Minister. Padam Giri, Hari Uprety, Bhagawati Chaudhary, Damodar Bhandari and Jawala Kumari Shah are once again part of the Dahal Cabinet, almost a year after quitting the government. Deputy Prime Minister Raghubir Mahaseth and Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Eradication Balaram Adhikari are the only new faces joining the government from the UML.
The Maoist Centre has introduced two new members in the Dahal Cabinet. Barshaman Pun, who has held several portfolios in previous governments, has been appointed finance minister while Hitman Tamang is the tourism minister from the Maoist Centre.
Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who served as home minister previously has taken on a new role as minister for foreign affairs. Shakti Basnet and Rekha Sharma, who served as energy minister and communications minister, respectively, have retained their positions in the new setup. Sumana Shrestha and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha are new faces to join the government from the RSP party, assuming leadership of the education and sports ministries, respectively.
Bhanu Bhakta Joshi and Dhan Bahadur Budha of the CPN (Unified Socialist) will lead the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, and Ministry of Urban Development, respectively.